'Streamlined' real-time strategy game BOID debuts January 8

Publisher TinyBuild Games (they of Speedrunners fame) has announced that Mokus Games' "streamlined" real-time strategy game BOID will reach Steam Early Access on January 8. You'll find a launch trailer beyond the break.

TinyBuild claims that though BOID is a class-based multiplayer RTS, it eschews the complexity of most strategy games, and instead focuses on quick thinking and mind games. "[BOID] takes place in an underwater world populated by glowing, tadpole-like creatures," reads Alexander's description of a hands-on demo he played at Gamescom. "They swim toward colored nodes spread across the map and claim them, which yields more units and resources. You left-click drag to select units, and right click to send the little swimmers swarming toward their destination, where they'll battle others to claim the circle." Compared to the dozens of units and structures most RTS games expect players to micromanage, that certainly does seem straightforward.

As with all Early Access games, players hoping to navigate the waters of BOID do so at their own risk. Though multiplayer functionality and online matchmaking have already been added to the game, it will not be a finished product on January 8 and will likely contain technical problems. If you must play the game as soon as possible, by all means go for it. But consider this a polite warning that the experience won't be flawless.

[Image: TinyBuild Games]